When trying to activate your Creative Suite 2, Acrobat 7, or Macromedia products you may receive an error that the Activation server is unavailable. As of December 15th the activation servers for these products will be shut down. The specific affected products are as follows:

Acrobat 7.0

Audition 3.0

Captivate 1.0

Contribute 2.0

Contribute 3.0

Director MX 2004

Dreamweaver MX 2004

Fireworks MX 2004

Flash Paper 2.0

Freehand MX

GoLive CS2

Illustrator CS2

InCopy CS2

InDesign CS2

Macromedia Studo MX 2004

Photoshop CS2

Photoshop Elements 4.0

Photoshop Elements 5.0

Premiere Pro 7.0

The activation server being shut down will not affect currently installed and activated Adobe software. You will only face this difficulty if you need to reactivate the software.

To remedy this difficulty we have made available a version of these software titles that does not require activation. For additional details and specific links to the software please see:

I tried to activate my CS2 Premium and Acrobat 7 (Windows) and got an error message that the Activation server is unavailable.

I understand that Adobe to remedy this difficulty has made available a version of these software titles that does not require activation.

So after uninstalling all these, I downloaded the version provided at the Adobe website and have 3 questions:

1) Adobe provides a "Pdf file" that is supposed to explain the installation steps; it lists 7 file names to be downloaded for the premium version, however, when I signed in using my Adobe ID to download it, there were only 5 items (.exe files) to be seen for the CS2-Download. Are there missing files or is the "Pdf-file" incorrect?

2) This "Pdf-file" instructs me as the first step to open the 5 files, but lists them in an odd order. Are these to be simultaneously selected and opened?

3) One of the files ending with "_4" I do not see as available in the list of downloads at the Adobe website...where do I find it?

I'm using Windows XP Professional. I've not tried to open any exe files -- simply because there is no explanation of what they contain.

I've had the entire CS2 Premium installed on my PC, and use mainly Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat 7 Pro, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, and sometimes Contribute. The last 3 Macromedia products have not been uninstalled yet.

It is exactly these step-by-step instructions that are difficult to follow: where the pdf lists 7 file names to be downloaded for the premium version, online there were only 5 items (.exe files) to download. OK, I'll try to run the exe files and choose to install later. Should I be deinstalling my Macromedia software before I start?

If you're only seeing the 5 files, and not the missing D4 file or the Extras 2 folder for the Premium version, you'll probably have to contact Adobe. I don't think anyone outside of the company will be able to force the missing files to populate your list.

As for the instructions, I had to read through them a dozen times before I figured them out, myself. They basically tell you to extract all the files *EXCEPT* the one for Disk 1 first, because Disk 1 will automatically run the installer program, and they want the files already unpacked onto your hard drive before you run it.

Now, *I* am having a problem I need help with...I've followed the instructions to the T, and the stupid installer program won't work properly. I run and unpack all the other files first, then I unpack the Disk 1 file and let the installer run, it installs the first disk, then it asks me to insert Disk 2.

Uhm...there *is* no disk 2, it was a downloadable file that I already unpacked, per the instructions.

Obviously, there's details missing from this installation process that I'm not privy to.

I am running Windows 7 Professional 64. Yes, I know it's technically "completely unsupported." Yes, I've had the call center guy tell me it won't work. Yes, I was running it on Windows 7 Professional 64 for a full month without any problems (until I tried to run the program with my internet connection down and it told me I needed to re-authenticate, causing this situation to begin with).

I have also attempted to use this installer package on my Windows XP Pro 32 machine, I'm getting the exact same problem, it asks for a disk that simply doesn't exist.

Also, I'm POOR. Like, scraping to pay the bills POOR. The only reason I have Creative Suite 2 is that it was given to me as a gift a few years ago. Running out and throwing hundreds of dollars at CS6 is absolutely out of the question.

Project D v2 I will test out the process versus the directions in a Windows XP virtual machine. I believe you will want to copy the contents of the Creative Suite folder from each of the discs to the Creative Suite folder in the disc one folder. The installer should then detect the payload and continue the installation instead of asking you to insert a disc.

With the English version of the software the file CreativeSuiteCS2Disc2 extracts to C:\Creative Suite\Adobe Creative Suite 2.0\. CreativeSuiteCS2Disc1 and CreativeSuiteCS2Disc3 both extract to C:\Creative Suite CS2\Adobe Creative Suite 2.0\.

If you copy the contents of the C:\Creative Suite\Adobe Creative Suite 2.0\ folder to the C:\Creative Suite CS2\Adobe Creative Suite 2.0\ folder you will no longer be prompted to insert disc two.

TeotiGraphix are you receiving a message in After Effects that the Activation Server is unavailable? We have only provided links to versions of our software which employed are activation technology and the activation server is no longer available.

What version of of After Effects or Production Studio Premium are you referrring to exactly?

I reinstalled the Adobe After Effects 7.0 from the Creative Suite CDs I have and it is giving me the same server error.

How do I activate After Effects 7.0?

EDIT: And now that I downloaded Premiere 2.0 and tried installing it on WIndows 7 64, it won't startup correctly. What I think is BS is I had the whole suite running on Windows7 for 2 years. So are you going to tell me the software I paid over 1800$ (2006) for now is usless because you decided your activation server was costing you to much money?

This is rediculous, if I hadn't JUST reinstalled my OS I wouldn't even be having these problems but now you have locked me out of my products.

Thank you so much for your response. Just one more query, all the products are from CS2 versions. What about the previous versions like Audition 2.0, 1.5 and other products? Just curious? My issue is already resolved.

Why can't you do phone activations still with the serial and activation number? Is that tied to the activation server where you can't get the activation number? This is what gets me frustrated, there IS a way to get the original CDs to activate without an internet connection! So why can't I use that method over the phone?

So where does this leave me? After Effects 7.0 has obviously been affected by this shutdown and it's not included in my downloads. Premiere Pro2.0 dosn't work on my windows anymore when the one I installed from the disks worked just fine.

What do you suggest I do? Do you have any advice getting Premeire working on Windows 7 64?

I'm trying to install Acrobat 7.0 Standard. I've followed the instructions provided. When I log in, I see my serial number for my registered copy of Acrobat 7. However, when I try to install the downloaded program, I receive an error: Invalid Serial Number. I have tried typing in the serial number, as well as copying and pasting the serial number. I've read elsewhere in the forums that some people are having to uninstall all Adobe products, and then run a CS Cleaner Tool before they can successfully install Adobe Premiere Elements.

I called adobe and with an agent on the line and he guided me through the suggested steps above unsuccessfully.

My uninstall of Production Studio Premium was incomplete and now I am not able to install either, my original DVDS or the CS2 downloads. He then attempted to connect me with a "installation expert" and my call was dropped. Now I am on hold with Adobe again with a wait time of 30 minutes.

I was also assured by the adobe agent that After Effects was included in the CS2 downloads but it does not apear in any of the extracted files.

Okay, I managed to get the first CS2 install completed using the progra~2 path. I am going to continue installing the other missing software(Premier Pro, Audition, Encore), but am desperate to get my After Effects working. Please let me know how to install it since the AE 7.0 on my DVDs will not activatie.

I do still have my original copy of Production Studio Premium listed in my control panel, though I can not find any files related to it. It will not uninstall. It only attempts to start the installer when I try. Would love advice on removing it.

I bought this last week, SO while I understand that you no longer provide "installation support" for older versions, I DO NOT understand how Adobe can block people from ACTIVATING it so that they can not use it at all!

I would very much have prefered to not need all this "support" or to have this very expensive, non returnable now that it's open, paper weight. Especially considering installation was completely effortless until I reached ACTIVATION. In short, if Adobe would activate my software I would need ZERO support.

I got your note about After Effects, dated a week ago in #22. I expect everyone is back from the holidays by now and will be looking for a solution to the loss of After Effects soon.

I am having the exact same issue. I reformated my hard drive, and now I am locked out of software I paid good money for. I am not very happy with Adobe at all. I know this activation protocol is great for keeping people from pirating this software, and that's great. However, I think this is a terrible business model. I spoke to an agent on the phone, and was told basically that my only solution was to upgrade. Why would I give more money to adobe if I don't even know how long I'd be "allowed" to use the upgrade. Please get this fixed soon.

Why did not support Traditional Chinese, my photoshop cs2, illustrator cs2 Traditional Chinese.We spend money to support genuine software, you can stop the update service, but you can not disable our cs2 genuine software, English software, but I want to Traditional Chinese cs2, because I can not read noraccustomed to using English, I spend money on Traditional Chinese, please give it to me Traditional Chinese

Like JenniMac1215 and Teoitigraphix I am now blocked from using my CS2 Production Premium After Effects 7 and Encore 2 software (that I paid full $ for) due to Adobe removing the activation server. Needless to say, I'm very frustrated and awaiting a fix ASAP.

The problems began after I recently upgraded my XP system hard drive via cloning, AE reported it needed to reactivate. No problem I thought. Except that the server was always "unavailable". After many failed activation connection attempts I searched and came across the Adobe page stating the server was taken down and I needed to uninstall all CS2 software, login, download and install the modified software (that doesn't require activation). BTW, the instructions provided are terrible; they refer to files that aren't there and the whole thing is very convoluted.

Trouble is, the CS2 provided omits several key programs from my original CS2 Production Premium discs like AE7 and Encore2.

I tried "supplimenting" the downloaded CS2 with the original discs CS2, but AE won't activate and has locked me out. I need AE to work on a project. No, I don't want to pay hundreds more to Adobe for the latest version when the version I have has been paid for, activated and working fine for years. The only reason I am locked out of my own software is because Adobe decided to take down their activation server.